- Special Services at Home
Special Services at Home (SSAH) Program is now only available for children.
Both children who have been labelled with intellectual disabilities and physical
disabilities are eligible. If approved, families are provided with funding to
purchase supports and services that they could not usually provide themselves
and are not available elsewhere in the community.
According to information contained on the Ministry of Community and Social
Services website, the program helps families pay for special services in or
outside the family home as long as the child is not receiving support from a
residential program. For example, the family can hire someone to:
- help the child learn new skills and abilities, such as improving their
communications skills and becoming more independent; - provide respite support to the family - families can receive money to pay
for services that will give them a break (or "respite") from the day-to-day
care of their child.
The amount of money a family receives depends on:
- the type and amount of service the child needs;
- other help that is available in the community; and
- the kind of support that the family is already receiving.
3. Availability of These Programs
There are extensive waiting lists for both the Passport and the SSAH programs.
Many families are faced with extremely difficult situations of having no supports
or services once their dependent adults have left high school or have reached
age 18. Their dependent adults require daily assistance in order to participate in